#HappiMess

Last night I attended such a fun event hosted by Delta Faucet and designer/stylist/person Tiffany Pratt. A bunch of bloggers got together to have fun and make a #HappiMess - what a great idea!! We spent a few hours getting our creativity on with a blank canvas clutch, painting up a storm and letting the glitter fly. There were so many awesome ideas (that's my creation up there^^). Sometimes it feels good to let your inner artist out.

Mega Bonus: I got to take home one of the oh-so-gorgeous floral centerpieces created by bloom stylist
Becky De Oliveira of Blush & Bloom. Isn't that just the best?

Yellow & Navy

I can't stop thinking about the combination of yellow & navy. As a matter of fact, I chose yellow tulips this weekend just because I knew they'd look fabulous with the navy blue dining room wall as a backdrop. Love!!

Instagram photo above taken by me :)

Work In Progress: Front Entry

There is paint on the front door!! Coral paint!! To be precise, this lovely shade is PARA Paints' Ooh Long Tea*. And since I am bound by the rules of condominium living, let me be clear: the paint is strictly on the interior of the front door. With no natural light and a door previously painted dark brown the front entry felt a bit gloomy, so I decided that a light colour would be best to brighten up the space. Now it feels much more welcoming.

I knew I wanted to highlight the coral in the Persian rug at the front entrance, so choosing the colour was the easy part. The tricky part was painting around all of the door hardware - I'm not bad with a roller, but I'm terrible with a brush. A few touch ups may be required :(

I gathered my Nate Berkus pineapple & Jill Rosenwald vase to assemble a coordinating vignette on the tiny entry table. Did you know that the pineapple is an emblem of welcome & hospitality? The fern is a new addition and hopefully will survive in the low light conditions.

  
By the way, this is where the gold leaf quatrefoil mirrors ended up after I discovered that they wouldn't fit above the bedside tables in the master bedroom. The mirrors also do a great job of making the small entry seem brighter & bigger than it truly is. I'm still mulling over the possibility of adding a fun wallpaper to this area, but until I find just the right pattern that idea is on hold. What do you think so far?

*Thank you to PARA Paints for supplying the paint for this project!!

Up & Coming

There are projects in the works, my friends!!

For starters, there will be colour going up on the doors & walls. I've been in the new condo for nearly 11 months and with the exception of the guest bedroom & the master bedroom, the builder beige walls remain untouched. For the inside of the front door I've chosen a lovely coral, "Ooh Long Tea" from PARA Paints, which will add a fun hit of colour to the entry foyer. The colour was pulled from the front entry rug which I purchased on ebay. Since the entrance sets the tone for the rest of the home, I want to make this area bright and lively. I'm super excited to get this paint project rolling!!

Vintage Persian Rug: Process of Finding "The One"

For me, the great debate of 2012 had nothing to do with politics. Instead it was all about choosing the right rug for the living room in the new space, and it was the subject of many, many posts throughout the year. In the old condo the living room had broadloom so a rug wasn't required, but with laminate floors the new place would definitely require the warmth of some texture on the floor. Also, with an open concept living and dining area, the addition of a rug would also help to separate the two spaces.

The hunt for the one began almost a year before the eventual move in. I attended auctions and estate sales, visited consignment shops and endlessly scoured listings on ebay, Etsy, Kijiji and Craiglist. The breakthrough moment was when fellow bloggers Christine of Bijou & Boheme and Vanessa of Decor Happy tweeted about finding an antique rug dealer at Toronto's St. Lawrence Sunday Antique Market. Meeting Amedeo was the Best. Thing. Ever. He let me take several rugs "on approval", and I ended up trying SIX before finding the perfect one. Don't believe me? Here's proof:

My VW Beetle with four 6'x9' Persian rugs piled into the back seat:

Thanks again to everyone who cast a vote when I needed opinions about which of these three initial choices was the best. In the end, Rug #1 (left) came out as the winner, Rug #3 (right) was first runner up and Rug #2 (center) came in dead last behind Rug #4 (nonexistent, still to be determined).

I also really liked the first rug, but there was something about it that wasn't quite right for me - I think that the colours were a bit too bright (I may have used the word "circus" to describe the colour scheme). After so many tries, I was getting discouraged, but when I unfurled rug #6 I immediately thought to myself, "This my rug. This is the one." The size was just right (6'8" x 10'6"), the colours were bright but subtle. Perfection at last. Here it is in the test space at the old condo:

 

When the sun is shining the colours are vibrant and cheerful, while in the evenings the hues become soft and warm. I love that this rug has some personality - note the bunny and the bird woven into the pattern. Practically speaking, as an investment, I'm in this for the long haul.  A hand knotted Persian won't wear out in my lifetime, and the variety of colours provide a limitless palette to work with if when I decide to change things up.

 

I'll miss those auctions, estate sales, and endless hours of trolling through shops. What will I do with all my spare time? Ummm... maybe get the master closet organized, paint the bedrooms, hang some artwork. Okay, no worries, lots to keep me busy!!

Paint Guide Recommendation

Now that I've started considering fabric and paint schemes for the new condo, I've been spending a lot of time researching potential colours. One of my favourite go-to guides is this inexpensive little paperback compiled by House Beautiful:

Colours for Your Home:
300 Designer Favourites

Purchase via Amazon
Purchase via Indigo

This compact volume is full of insider advice from a distinguished group of designers. Every swatch includes the manufacturer, name and number, so you'll know exactly what to ask for when you get to the paint counter. The hard part is narrowing down the 300 choices!!

Pantone Colour of the Year for 2012 Is...

...Tangerine Tango!!!!!!

(17-1463)

When Honeysuckle was introduced as the colour of the year for 2011, I was inspired to add a dash of pink to my living room, and I'm still loving the energy and warmth generated by Flamingo's Dream. Since I'll be moving out at the end of the year, I won't be adding another coat of paint to the walls, but Tangerine Tango is a fun, bold colour choice that we'll be seeing this year in both home decor and fashion.

And on that note, have you seen the January 2012 issue of Canadian House & Home? The home pictured on the cover was designed by Tommy Smythe, and the living room features two plump orange pillows. Right on trend, Tommy!!

Lilly Pulitzer Furniture Coming Soon

Lilly Pulitzer is known for creating fabrics which are fun, fresh, playful, and above all, colourful!!! In addition to some of the sweetest fashions and accessories of all time, Lilly Pulitzer also creates a line of bedding and bath items exclusively through Garnet Hill. Next we can also look forward to a line of furniture from Lilly, arriving this summer. Yay!!!

Images Courtesy of Lilly Pulitzer.

Sarah 101: Episode 6 Boho Chic Girls' Rooms

This week on Sarah 101, Sarah and Tommy chose a colourful tea towel from Anthropologie as the jumping off point for the boho chic scheme of a bedroom and nursery for three little girls. The designers pulled colours from the towels to select broadloom, fabrics and paint colours. Listen to these intriguing paint colour names: Growing Pains, Cucumber Sandwiches, Fireflies, Brunch with Friends, Ooh Long Tea, Slapshot and Schmooze.

Tommy's mantra for these rooms: "Fabric, Furniture, Floors, Fun"

THE NURSERY

Coral (Ooh Long Tea)
Red (Schmooze)
Pale Blue (Slapshot)

Sarah runs a striped fabric horizontally for dramatic
effect on this vintage channel back chair:

A large vintage dresser in perfect condition
provides ample storage:

The inspiration tea towel for this room
becomes an adorable laundry bag:

An unusual light fixture casts an interesting pattern
on the ceiling when a clear light bulb is used:

LITTLE GIRLS' ROOM

Blue (Growing Pains)
Green (Cucumber Sandwiches)
Pale Yellow (Fireflies)

Animal shapes cut from vintage wallpaper are so fun!!
The inspiration tea towel appears as a pillow:

A pair of bedside tables are sprayed blue (Brunch with Friends)
and treated to pretty new drawer pulls:

This plain dresser gets dressed up with a
two tone paint treatment and sparkly hardware:

In classic Sarah style, this room incorporates
a mix of multiple patterned fabrics:

The rooms were very colourful, very kid friendly and very fun, indeed!!

Photos courtesy of HGTV Canada.

Trina Turk for Schumacher

The photo featured in yesterday's teaser post was from Trina Turk's initial indoor/outdoor fabric collaboration with Schumacher. The second collection for the upcoming warm weather season was recently launched and there is a stunning array of gorgeous patterns and vivid colours. What else would you expect from Trina Turk?

Now who's ready for summer?
Or at least a warm weather winter getaway?

All photos courtesy of Schumacher.

Job: One

As the saying goes, "It's not What you know, it's Who you know." My brother in law, who has spent several years in the construction industry, recently purchased a property with plans to renovate the home for resale. Guess who gets opportunity to choose the interior finishes and colour scheme? You guessed it, ME!!! This will be my first official design job, and I am looking forward to a great learning experience.

To date, the colour scheme for the interior rooms has been selected. Since the home is being prepared for resale, the scheme will be a neutral palette which will appeal to most buyers. These are the colours we will be working with:

Benjamin Moore

Manchester Tan HC-81

Benjamin Moore
Palladian Blue HC-144

Benjamin Moore
Bennington Gray HC-82

Benjamin Moore
Classic Gray OC-23

Benjamin Moore
Ranchwood CC-500

Benjamin Moore
Florentine Plaster CC-520

Benjamin Moore
Wedgewood Gray HC-146

Can't wait to show you the final results, the scheduled completion date is less than two months away!!

Combining Hues: Blue & Orange

Sometimes it's difficult to choose colour combinations for the home without worrying that the result will be a visual nightmare. This fear of making a colour misstep is one of the reasons why so many people choose to stick to a neutral palette. By following a few basic concepts, it is possible to successfully decorate a room using colour. The first step to embracing new hues is to learn the basics of the colour wheel:

3 Primary colours: Yellow, Red & Blue
3 Secondary colours: Orange, Purple & Green
6 Tertiary colours: Yellow-Orange, Red-Orange, Red-Purple, Blue-Purple, Blue-Green & Yellow-Green



Common Colour Schemes:
Monochromatic Scheme: Uses just one colour in different shades & tones.
Complimentary Scheme: Combines 2 colours which lie opposite one another on the wheel (ie. blue & orange)
Analogous Scheme: Selects 3 colours which neighbour one another along the wheel (all warm or all cool).
Triad Scheme: Uses 3 colours an equal distance apart on the wheel.

My personal favourite is to use a complimentary colour scheme such as Blue & Orange, which lie directly opposite each other on the wheel. The key to making it livable is to inject the chosen colours onto a neutral backdrop. It works in theory, now consider it as decor:

Horchow.com
(A magazine tear sheet from many, many years ago. )

Paige Schnell
via Southern Living

Leslie Klotz
via House Beautiful

Palmer Weiss

Palmer Weiss

Tobi Fairley

Tobi Fairley

John Willey
via House Beautiful

Kendall Wilkinson

Kendall Wilkinson

Miles Redd
via House Beautiful
(This is a triad scheme, incoporating green)

The key to decorating with a new hue is to consult the colour wheel and just go for it!!